Cong candidates will bite the dust in Lok Sabha polls: Majithia

Senior Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia Friday said Congress candidates will bite the dust in Lok Sabha polls in Punjab.

Majithia also predicted that several ministers will be axed and many legislators will not get party tickets if Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh's "diktat" is implemented in letter and spirit.

"The face of council of ministers in Punjab will be completely changed after May 23 this year as more than 70 per cent of the ministers are likely to be axed and two third of party legislators will not be fielded in the next assembly polls if the diktat of Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh is implemented in letter and spirit," Majithia said.

"As per the information pouring in from the entire state, Congress candidates are likely to lose in nearly 70 per cent of the assembly segments currently represented by ministers in the state assembly," he claimed in a statement issued here.

"This will require a major reshuffle in the council of ministers as all such ministers will not be able to continue. What would be baffling the chief minister is whether there would be sufficient number of legislators who would be qualified to fill the vacancies," Majithia said.

Amarinder Singh had said that Congress ministers would be dropped from the cabinet and legislators would not be considered for giving tickets in next assembly polls if they failed to ensure victory of party candidates in their constituencies during the Lok Sabha polls.

The ongoing Lok Sabha polls are a "referendum" on the performance of Amarinder Singh's government and any adverse results are reflection on his performance and not of ministers or legislators, who have little say in the government, Majithia said.

Punjab, which has 13 Lok Sabha seats, goes to polls in the seventh and last phase on May 19.